Vehicular apparatus for thermal treatment of bituminous substances



United States Patent Fritz Becker Bonn-Lengsdori, Germany [21] Appl. No. 783,494

[22] Filed Dec. 13, 1968 [45] Patented Nov. 3, 1970 i [73] Assignee Helmut Becker trading as Westhydraulik Becker K.G.Maschinenfabrik und [72] Inventor Apparatebau Bonn-Lengsdorf, Germany [32] Priority Jan. 20, 1968 [3 3] Germany [3 1 W 41,477

[54] VEHICULAR APPARATUS FOR THERMAL TREATMENT OF BITUMINIOUS SUBSTANCES 11 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 126/3435 Int. Cl E0lc 19/45 [50] FieldofSearch 126/3435. 343.5(A)

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,849,581 3/1932 Littleford l26/343.5X 2,726,788 12/1955 McIntosh l26/343.5X

Primary ExaminerCharles J. Myhre Att0rneyMichael S. Striker ABSTRACT: A vehicular apparatus for thermally treating bituminous substances includes a reservoir wherein the substance to be treated may be accommodated. A burner tube or flame tube communicates with a burner receiving heat therefrom, and at the same time constitutes a chassis on which the reservoir is mounted so as to receive heat from the burner tube while the latter serves to support the reservoir as well as auxiliary components, such as the axle or axles and the wheels ofthe vehicle.

Patented Nov. 3, 1970 3,537,443

INVENTOP FRI r; IKEcKE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to vehicles in general, and more particularly to a vehicular apparatus for thermal treatment of bituminous substances.

It is known to construct apparatuses for thermally treating bituminous substances, such as asphalt, in form of vehicles which carry with them a body of the bituminous substance to the place where the substance is required. During travel, or upon arrival at the work area the bituminous substance is heated by a burner provided on the vehicle and is then utilized once heated to the requisite temperature. In such constructions the wall of the reservoir, usually the lower portion thereof, is constructed as a double-walled jacket through which a suitable fluid, such as a suitable oil, is circulated which is heated by the burner and in which in turn serves to heat the contents of the reservoir. The burner communicates with a so-called burner tube or flame tube which is usually convoluted and whose ends communicate with the jacket.

While such constructions are by no means inoperable, it is well known that the flow resistance of the spirally convoluted burner tube limits the effectiveness of these constructions so that it is usually necessary to operate the device for periods of many hours before the contents of the reservoir are brought to sufficiently elevated temperatures. Evidently, this is undesirable as well as uneconomical It is thus a general object of the present invention to provide a construction of the general type here in question which is not subject to the disadvantages outlined above.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide such a construction wherein the burner or flame tube is not so configurated as to oppose significant flow resistance.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a construction wherein the burner tube, which is particularly effective for heating purposes in conjunction with the heater or burner provided, also serves other purposes so that the resulting vehicular apparatus is not only highly effective but also compact and light.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the above objects, and others which will become apparent hereafter, one feature of my invention resides in the provision of a vehicular apparatus for thermal treatment of bituminous substances wherein a reservoir is adapted to contain a body of substance to be treated, and a flame or burner tube constitutes both a portion of the heating means and a chassis for the vehicular apparatus. The burner tube or flame tube is arranged to support the reservoir as well as to effect heating of the contents thereof and has an open end communicating with the burner provided so that heat from the latter can enter into the tubular member or burner tube and from there will be transmitted through the reservoir and the contents thereof. Wheels are mounted on the burner tube or tubular member so that the same constitutes the chassis of the vehicle.

Advantageously, the burner tube will be double-walled and will be configurated substantially in form of a hairpin or the like. The use of such a burner tube configurated in this I manner and located exteriorly of the reservoir is novel, as is its use simultaneously as a chassis for the vehicle. While its particular configuration is highly advantageous it has not heretofore been possible to utilize it because usually the reservoirs of the type here in question contain an internally provided agitating mechanism for the bituminous substance so that a burner tube configurated in the manner herein discussed would have interfered with the operation of the agitating mechanism. Only the arrangement of the burner tube exteriorly of the reservoir makes its use possible, in conjunction with the fact that its The novel features which are considered as characteristic.

for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims.

The invention itself, however, both as to its, construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Discussing now the drawing in detail it will be seen that FIG. I shows a reservoir or container 1 which advantageously is of circular cross section and whose circumferential wall is completely or at least over a significant portion of its circumference constructed as a double-walled 2 which thus constitutes a heating jacket. Internal projections 3 subdivide this heating jacket into a plurality of labyrinthine paths through which the heating fluid, for instance the oil used for this purpose, can circulate.

Arranged below the reservoir 1 is a double-walled burner tube or flame tube 4 which is associated with a burner 5 of any known construction. A supply tube 6 for the heating oil communicates with that end of the burner tube 4 which is located remote from the burner 5, as well as with the interior of the double-walled jacket 2 of the reservoir 1. Specifically, in the illustrated embodiment this supply tube 6 extends along the reservoir 1 at the exterior thereof, advantageously embedded in the heat-insulating material which conventionally is applied over the outside of such reservoirs, and communicates via a pump 7 and a tube portion 6a with the interior of the doublewalled jacket 2 at a lower part thereof.

After entering the jacket 2 through the tube portion 6a, the heating oil rises in the labyrinthine paths mentioned above, and is evacuated from the jacket 2 at the upper most portion of the jacket 2 through an outlet conduit 8 which conducts it back into the space between the two walls of the doublewalled burner tube 4. In the illustrated embodiment the cooled or spent heating oil is reduced to the double-walled burner tube 4 at the hottest portion thereof, that is immediately ahead of the burner 5. However, it will be understood that the spent heating oil can be supplied in a different manner if this is desired.

I have not illustrated various auxiliary components conventionally used and necessary in apparatuses of this type, such as the container for the heating oil, an expansion vessel and the like because they are conventional, well known to those skilled in the art, and form no part of the present invention. They can be arranged wherever desired or necessary.

In accordance with the present invention, however, all components which serve to make the construction thus far described mobile, are directly secured to the burner tube 4, for instance by welding. Thus, the supports 9 for the leafspring units 10 are directly secured to the double-walled burner tube 4, and in turn the leaf-spring units 10 support the axle 11. Similarly, the consoles l2, l3 and 14 are mounted directly on the burner tube 4 and have mounted on them in greater space requirements than those of the spirally wound turn the reservoir 1. Also, the sections or arms 15 of the connecting beam 16 by means of which the apparatus can be connected to a tractor or other vehicle providing a means of locomotion, are directly secured to the burner tube 4 as clearly shown in FIGS. 13. For the purpose of clarity the reservoir 1 has been omitted in FIG. 2 and it is clear from this FIG. that the two substantially C-shaped arms 15 are laterally secured, for instance by welding, to the parallel portions of the burner tube 4. In the illustrated embodiment the substantially hairpin-shaped configuration of the burner tube 4 utilizes inclined portions 4a connected with the straight portions of the burner tube 4.

The drawing shows that the supporting consoles l2 and 13 each consists of two sections which may be secured to one another, for instance by screw-threaded connection. The consoles 14 are directly secured by welding or an other manner to the upper side of the outer wall of the burner tube 4. A burner is provided on the burner tube 4 at one end, communicating therewith, and a closure member 17 is provided at the other end of the burner tube 4 and may be constructed as a safety device to guard against explosion in known manner. In the illustrated construction the oil feed tube 6 communicates with the burner tube 4 adjacent this member 17.

FIG. 3 clearly shows that the inner wall 19 of the doublewalled burner tube 4 is concentric or a least substantially concentric with the outer wall and is supported by radially projecting supports (not illustrated) which extend longitudinally or partly spirally of the burner tube 4. Such spacing supports are already known and are therefore not illustrated.

Of course, various modifications in the construction here outlined by way of example are possible without departing in any way from the scope of the present invention.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together. may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a vehicular apparatus for thermal treatment of bituminous substances, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit ofthe present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can be applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore. such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

I claim:

I. In a vehicular apparatus for thermal treatment of bituminous substances, a combination comprising a tubular member of substantially U-shaped configuration and having an open end; a reservoir adapted to contain a substance to be treated and being supported on said tubular member in heatexchanging relationship therewith; a burner carried by said tubular member and communicating with the interior thereof through said open end so that heat can enter said tubular member and effect indirect heating of said reservoir; and wheel means mounted on said tubular member.

2. In an apparatus as defined in claim I, wherein said reservoir comprises peripheral wall means including two spaced walls defining between themselves a clearance through which a heat-exchange fluid may circulate.

3. In an apparatus as defined in claim 2, said tubular member comprising an inner and an outer circumferential wall defining between themselves an annular space; supply conduit means connecting said space with said clearance; and return flow conduit means connecting said clearance with said space; a body of heat-exchange fluid accomodated in said space and said clearance and circulating between them in response to heating of the interior of said tubular member by said burner.

4. In an apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said tubular member is a double-walled construction.

5. In an apparatus as defined in claim 4, said tubular member having an inner circumferential wall and an outer circumferential wall surrounding said inner wall with clearance; and at least one axle mounted on said outer wall and carrying said wheel means.

6. In an apparatus as defined in claim 5; and further comprising spring means interposed between and connected to said outer wall and said axle.

7. In an apparatus as defined in claim 6, said spring means comprising at least a pair of leaf-spring assemblies.

8. In an apparatus as defined in claim 1; and further comprising mounting consoles interposed between and connected to said reservoir and said tubular member and connecting the former with the latter.

9. In an apparatus as defined in claim 8, said tubular member being of double-walled construction including an inner circumferential wall and an outer circumferential wall surrounding said inner wall with clearance and wherein said mounting consoles are connected to said outer wall of said tubular member.

10. In an apparatus as defined in claim 1; and further comprising wagon shaft means secured to said tubular member.

11. In an apparatus as defined in claim 10, said wagon shaft means comprising two arms each connected to the-other and to said tubular member. 

